New Star Trek Movie
The SS Enterprise continues its travel into space with the new Star Trek movie. Having been a prequel to the comic book Star Trek: Countdown, the new Star Trek movie is set just a few years after the events that are well narrated in the other movie sequel Star Trek – Nemesis have taken place. The movie follows the characters of Nero and Spock as they take their voyage into the 23rd century. The movie depicts the interactions that take place between Spock and Nero together with Picard and a host of other Next Generation characters. The movie shows what happens prior to Spock’s and Nero’s accidental travel that takes them to the future of the 23rd century.
Star Trek Movie
The events of this new film are set when Nero and Spock are sucked into a black hole that takes them back to over a century ago. When a supernova threatens the existence of the entire galaxy, Nero and his crew set out to obtain enough matter that will help create what is called ‘red matter’ that will contain the supernova. However, the plot unfolds as Romulus, Nero’s home world is destroyed and he blames Spock together with Vulcan for the death of his family and destruction of Romulus. Vowing vengeance, he sets out to wreck havoc on the entire galaxy. Before he can prevent Spock from releasing the red matter into the star about to go up in a supernova, he is too late and he and Spock get sucked into the black hole that has come up as a result of the explosion and they find themselves over 100 years in the past.
Familiar faces from the previous sequel have appeared, starting with Leonard Nimoy who still acts as Spock, Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk and Christopher Pike being played by Bruce Greenwood. Others also continue to feature in the film and make it more of a continuation of what happened the last time in Nemesis.
The movie however takes a new twist that unfolds and makes this film different from the last ones. Starting with Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home in 1986 then to Star Trek: Generations in 1994 and coming to the 1996 Star Trek: First Contact, this new Star Trek takes its characters to the past. In the other films, the time travel ability was used as a device. In the new future, there is no return to the future and instead, an alternative timeline has made the series to play out differently.
The film also does not introduce klingons in the plot. It is assumed that they have been over used in the previous sequels and introducing them again as enemies would only hurt the plot. The plot, internal logic and its characters made the premiere to the movie a blast. Repeated viewings will likely continue to have the same impact and appeal.
The Two Sides of ‘Star Trek’
By DAVE ITZKOFF, New York Times
May 9, 2009
It takes a certain mix of optimism and frustration to contemplate the possibility of space travel. To dream of navigating the cosmos is to assume that man has the resources and the know-how to propel himself into the heavens, but also some compelling reasons to exchange his home planet for the cold vast unknown.
It was these seemingly contradictory impulses that shaped “Star Trek,” the supremely influential science-fiction television series whose three-season run yielded 40 years of sequels and spinoffs including a new feature film about the origins of Kirk and Spock that opened on Friday. Yes, the series is at heart a geeky space epic, but it is also one with a political and historical context.
When it was created by Gene Roddenberry in 1966, “Star Trek” was meant to expand the notions of what a unified world could achieve — a mission that was deeply complicated by the turmoil of the era. And the newest incarnation of “Star Trek” arrives at a moment when the country again finds itself teetering between limitless potential and peril, yearning to boldly go in all directions but potentially stuck in neutral.
Obama - Star Trek
Photo courtesy of Henry Jenkins
Do You Speak Klingon?
Throughout history there have been hundreds of made up languages. These languages were often made up in order for individuals to communicate privately in the presence of other people. These made up languages were used to keep their conversations private. There are many made up languages that were used in this manner.
Many of us made up languages when we were kids in order to talk around the adults without them knowing what we were saying. This was great fun and would often drive the adults crazy. Other made up languages came out of Hollywood.
One such language is Klingon. This language was created during the long running Star Trek TV show. Most people do not realize the language was first created by “Scotty” for the Star Trek: The Motion Picture movie. “Scotty” was the engineer on the show. Klingons had always spoken English before this. He created a few words and basic sounds. The language was fully developed into a fully-fledged language after the movie by Marc Okrand.
Star Trek fans have kept this language alive and it is spoken by fans around the world.
Klingon Hello Kitty With Dalek
Many languages around the world have slowly died. The writer of the Lord of the Rings, Tolkien understood this and tried through his writing to help people understand how language is important.
He created several languages for the cultures portrayed in his books. The elves, for example, had their own distinct language. (I wonder, could Spanish have been a made up language?)
Language is important and we need to understand and try and preserve as many as we can. When they die they take history with them.
So the next time you hear someone speaking in Klingon don’t laugh. We should all encourage the expanse of language in our world. We should never let a language die.
Roj (Peace in Klingon)
By: Tony Hendriks
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